Flexible hose



Jan. 27, 1959 J, GRECZIN 2,870,619

FLEXIBLE HOSE Filed Janfz, 1957 5 LLQ l Of/L.

G. KAKA/4Q 2,870,619 y FLEXIBLE HosE John Greczin, Philadelphia, Pa.,assigner to Fidelity Machine Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania This invention relates to exible hose,primarily of garden type, the invention having application to all typesof hose employing knitted fabric as a wall-reinforcing medium. y

One object of the invention is to provide a hose of the broad type setforth exhibiting an extraordinarily high burst strength conferred by thepeculiar and novel character of the wall-reinforcing fabric.

Another object isv to provide a hose wherein superior burst strength maybe achieved without increased pro duction cost.

Still another important object is to provide a hose composed oftransparent plastic and containing a knitted reinforcing fabric whichshall be characterized by a desirably ornamental appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tubular knitted fabricwhich by reason of certain inherent structural characteristics iscapable of conferring the several aforesaid advantages when employed asa wall reinforcing element in hose.

In the attached drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a section of hose composed of transparent plastic andcontaining a tubular knitted fabric according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, and

Fig. -3 is a diagrammatic development of the tubular reinforcing fabricshown in Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates theplastic tubular wall of the hose which is transparent in the presentinstance to expose the embedded tubular knitted fabric 2 whichconstitutes the wall-reinforcing medium. As clearly apparent in Fig. 1the fabric 2 departs from the conventional in several respects includingthe relative widths of the Wale loops relative to the lateral spacing ofthe wales and the characteristic crossing of the strands in the spacesbetween the wales.

The structural form of the fabric is 'shown in detail in Fig. 3. Thefabric is composite of two tubular fabrics knitted from separate yarnsand separate sets of needles. In their cylinder or cylinders the needlesare arranged so that those of one set alternate with those of the otherset. Consequently the walesof one fabric component alternate with thewales of the other component. In the drawing, the wales of one componentare identitied by the numerals 1, 2 and 3, and those of the othercomponent by the numerals 4, 5 and 6. The loops 7 of the wales 1, 2 and3 are aligned coursewise with the loops 8 of the wales 4, 5 and 6. Eachof the sections 9 of yarn which connects the loops 7 in the adjoiningpairs of the wales 1, 2 and 3, instead of extending coursewise acrossthe intervening wales 4, 5 or 6, as the case may be, is diverted to thenext adjoining course in order United States Patent()l ice I PatentedJan. 2,7, 19,5 9

of'ffo'rmation and inthe latter course is tucked behind the pbasev ofthe loop 8 of the said intervening wale. Each of the sections 11 of yarnwhich connects the loops 8 in the adjoiningpairs of the'wal'es 4, 5 and6 is similarly diverted from a normal coursewise path across theintervening wales 1, 2 or 3 to the adjoining course and in the latter istucked behind the base of the loop 7 of the said intervening wale. Thisis shown clearly in Fig. 3 wherein the one course is indicated by thereference numeral 12 and the succeeding course by the numeral 13.

With this formation the yarns 9 and 11 of the two fabric components arecrossed diagonally between theadjoining wales of the composite fabricsand in the present instance the individual crosses are confined to andare aligned with the individual courses of loops. This is a preferredarrangement for reasons hereinafter appearing.

In accordance further with the invention, each of the loops 7 and 8 ismade abnormally wide coursewise, and in the present instance the widthof the individual loop is approximately equal to its length. Preferablyand as illustrated, the width of the loops 7 and 8, and therefore of thewales, is approximately the same as the spaces between adjoining walesoccupied by the aforedescribed crossed yarns, so that the interstices ofthe composite fabric, i. e. those embraced by the loops 7 and 8, andthose defined in partby the crossing yarns 9 and l1, will approachuniformity. By this means the fabric is made to exhibit a substantiallyuniform strength throughout particularly in its function in the hose toresist radial expansion due to internal fluid pressures. Also the linesdefined by the Walewise portions of the wale loops are substantiallyuniformly spaced around the entire circumference of the hose, and thiscoupled with the presence of the crossed yarns previously referred to inthe spaces between the wales tends to preserve the wall of the hose inits original true cylindrical form against both internal and externalpressures.

It will be apparent that for any given strength, a fabric of the uniformproperties described above will require a lesser weight of yarn than onewherein a lack of uniformity entails use in all parts of a weight ofyarn adequate to give "the required strength in the weaker portions. Inthis respect, therefore, the invention affords a material economy inhose production. The invention achieves also a fabric pattern ofimproved appearance which is a factor of importance in hose composed oftransparent plastic, as set forth above.

I claim:

l. A tubular knitted reinforcing fabric for flexible hose, said fabricbeing made up of individual mutually overlying knitted webs relativelyarranged so that the wales of one web lie in parallel alignment with andwithin the spaces between the wales of the other web and with the Waleloops of both webs in coursewise alignment, the yarn connecting theloops of each adjoining pair of wales of each web in any one coursebeing tucked behind a loop of the intervening Wale of the other web in asucceeding course so that in the spaces between the wales of the saidfabric the yarns of the v Webs intersect each other on lines diagonal tothe said coursewise direction.

2. A tubular knitted hose-,reinforcing fabric according to claim 1wherein the said wale loops have a course- Wise width approximating thecoursewise width of the spaces between the wales of the fabric.

3. A tubular knitted reinforcing fabric for flexible hose,

3 said fabric being made up of individual mutually overlying knittedwebs relatively arranged so that the wales of one web lie in parallelalignment with, and within the spaces between the wales of the otherweb, and with the Wale loops of both Webs in coursewise alignment, saidWale loops having a coursewise width approximating the coursewise widthof the spaces between the wales of the fabric, `the yarn connecting theloops of each 'adjoining pair of wales of each web in any one'coursebeing tucked behind a loop of the intervening Wale of the other web inthe next succeeding course, so that in the` aetzols spaces between .theWales of the v.said fabric, the yarns of the webs intersect each otheron lines dagonalto the g said coursewise direction.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v356,080Place Jan. 11, 1887 920,207 Steber May 4, 1909 1,947,302 Meiwald Feb.13, 1954 2,752,952k Dauphinais July 3, 1956

